This corner post, discovered by Department of Natural Resources land surveyor Matt Dontz, was put in the ground in 1850. Because it was in a stream, the cedar post had been preserved for 162 years.

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For Matt Dontz, finding a 4½-foot cedar post in elbow-deep water late last month in Montmorency County was like hitting the jackpot.
That's because the Traverse City man is a surveyor with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the post was a rare find.

Dontz's post was set on July 30, 1850 - 162 years ago - and could be one of the few original survey posts left in Michigan because of decay caused by age and the elements. Such posts, called corners, were used to set the state's township lines, placed in half-mile intervals.